Rub Rail Based Boat Washdown System

ABSTRACT

This invention shows a unique way to modify the present rub rail system to incorporate a complete boat wash down system. The system connects to a dock based water supply and performs in a few minutes a complete boat salt removal soap application and rinse.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is described in FIG. 1. Mostboats are equipped with a rub rail. This is the most outboard point on aboat and is designed to protect the boat sides when a dock, piling orother boat, is contacted see (1). This rub rail is typically made of afairly hard rubber, metal strip, wood or hard rubber or somecombination. They are rarely an integral part of the hull so they can beinexpensively replaced in case of a collision. (2) shows a typical hardrubber rub rail in cross section. Note that in the illustration the rubrail is hollow though not always hollow, it is common. (3) shows amodified rub rail is slightly larger and has surfaces that could allowholes that would shoot down and up. (4) shows a section of rub rail withthe appropriate holes to direct streams of water up and inboard and downthe boat sides. (5) shows the hose connections at the stern for the tworub rails to supply water from a dock water supply. (6) describes a“Salt Away” mixing bowl that mixes fresh water with “Salt Away” toquickly remove the salt accumulations. (8) describes a soap mixing bowlthat mixes fresh water with a soap solution to wash the boat. (7)describes a set of 3 way valves that can supply either soap, “Salt Away”or fresh water to the perforated rub rails and (9) describes the outletpart to the rub rails.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is described in FIG. 1.Through FIG. 7. Most boats are equipped with a rub rail. This is themost outboard point on a boat and is designed to protect the boat sideswhen a dock, piling or other boat is contacted.

FIG. 1. (Rub Rail on Boat) describes this function. The boat (1) has arub rail (2) around the edge, most outboard point of the boat so that ifthe boat contacts or collides with a piling (4) the boat is protected bythe rub rail (3). The rub rail protects the boat since it is the closestpart of the boat (5) to the piling.

FIG. 2. (Rub Rail Detail) describes the rub rail in more detail. The rubrail can be made of wood, rubber, plastic or even metal. The most commonis an extruded soft plastic with a cross section as shown (1). The rubrail is a soft rubber like plastic that has a hole through it (2) tomake the rub rail “bouncy”. The hole continues throughout the length ofthe rub rail (3).

FIG. 3. (Modified Rub Rail) describes how this invention would modifythe rub rail. The rub rail is made wider (1) and has a larger hole (2)to allow for better fluid flow. The sides of the center section of therub rail are perforated with either holes or nozzles to spray fluideither up (3) or down (4) to wash the top or sides of the boat.

FIG. 4. (Hose Connection to Rub Rail) describes how a high pressurefluid source is attached to the rub rail. At the front of the boat thestarboard (right) side rub rail (5) and the port (left) side rub rail(5) are both plugged. An adapter is used to attach a hose to the otherend of each rub rail (6) then two small hoses are extended from theadapter and are fitted with female hose connections (3). These areattached to a high pressure fluid source (1) through two male hoseconnections (2).

FIG. 5. (“Salt Away”/Soap Mixing Bowl) describes how various fluids aresupplied to the rub rail. A high pressure water source (1) is connectedto the mixing bowl. The mixing bowl has a two way valve (2). One settingmixes a small amount of fluid in the storage cap with water. The secondsetting turns off the fluid in the storage can and supplies pure waterfor a rinse. The mixing bowl also contains a storage can (3) that isused to deliver “Salt Away” (a liquid that removes dried salt on a boat)or soap. The output of the mixing bowl is split into two hoses that havemale connectors (4) to connect to the port and starboard rub rails.

FIG. 6. (“Salt Away”/Soap/Rinse Setup) describes how a single systemcould supply a series of fluids to the rub rails. The high pressurewater source (1) goes first to a valve (2) on the first mixing bowl thatdelivers either diluted “Salt Away” or just water. The “Salt Away” iskept in the storage can (3). The output of the first mixing bowl isconnected to the second mixing bowl. The second valve (5) eithersupplies diluted soap or clear water. The soap is stored in the storagecan (4). The output that now contains either just water or diluted “SaltAway” or diluted soap to a split hose that connects to both sides of therub rail through two male connectors (6).

FIG. (7) (Use of the Invention) describes the use of the invention. Ahigh pressure water input (1) is either mixed with a small amount of“Salt Away” (2) or soap (3) or allowed to flow free for a clear waterrinse. The rub rail (4) then delivers the appropriate fluid by sprayingdown the hull (5) and up to wash the top of the boat (6). The sequence(7) that one would use is, first one rinses the boat, then one appliesdiluted “Salt Away”, then rinses again, then one applies diluted soapand finally applies a final rinse. This five minute procedure replacesabout a two hour manual operation.

1. A permanent wash down system attached to a boat that when connectedto a water supply would automatically wash down the boat.
 2. A system asin claim
 1. Wherein the mechanism for wash down is contained in amodified rub rail.
 3. A system as in claim 2 where perforations in therub rail would perform the wash down.
 4. A system as in claim 3 whereperforations pointed down the side of the boat.
 5. A system as in claim3 where the perforations pointed up and in board to wash the top of theboat.
 6. A system as in claim 3 that incorporated claim 4 and
 5. 7. Asystem as in claim 1 that is manually valve switched to apply soap aswell as fresh water
 8. A system as in claim 1 that is manually valveswitched to apply “Salt Away” solution.
 9. A system as in claim 7 thatcan valve switch to either soap, “Salt Away” or fresh water.
 10. Asystem as in claim 6 that includes a onboard high speed pump to increasethe water flow.
 11. A system as in claim 1 that connects to the onboardfresh water system.
 12. A fully automatic system that at the push of abutton cycles through rinse “Salt Away,” rinse, soap and rinse in timedcycles.
 13. A system as claim 9 that adds a water applied wax liquid tothe other liquids.
 14. As system as in claim 2 where perforations arereplaced with insert able nozzles.